Toilet system with a toilet pan

ABSTRACT

A toilet system which can be rinsed by a rinsing device. A pipe is connected to the toilet pan and leads to a sanitation pipe. Means are provided for transporting a suction material from the toilet pan into the pipe and into the sanitation pipe. Said means comprise two valves which are arranged in the pipe and a pressure chamber is disposed in-between. In order to suction the suction material from the toilet pan, low pressure is produced in the pressure chamber and used to transport said suctioned material. The pressure chamber is embodied as a piston cylinder and the piston is connected to a controllable drive in order to produce the high and low pressure. The inventive toilet system enables rinsing to occur using a very small amount of water and which can be adapted to different toilet pans.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a toilet system with a toilet pan, which can beflushed by a flushing arrangement, having a conduit which is connectedto the toilet pan and leads to a waste-disposal conduit, having meansfor transporting a suction-extraction substance from the toilet pan intothe conduit and into the waste-disposal conduit, the means having, inthe conduit, two valves and, between the latter, a pressure chamber inwhich it is possible to produce a negative pressure, for the suctionextraction of the substance from the toilet pan, and a positivepressure, for transporting the substance, once extracted by suction,into the waste-disposal conduit.

2. Description of the Related Art

Up until now, toilet systems in which the suction-extraction substanceis extracted by means of a vacuum have been known, in particular, invehicles, for example in railroad cars and RVs. For example, WO 92/18713discloses a toilet system in which an arrangement for producing negativepressure has an intermediate tank and a collecting tank. Theabovementioned arrangement evacuates the intermediate tank in order toproduce negative pressure, with the result that, with a valve in aconduit being open, the substance is taken into the intermediate tank.Collecting tanks require a large amount of space and have to be emptied.They are not desirable for domestic use.

EP 0 887 478 discloses a toilet system in which a tank is likewiseprovided. A diaphragm pump is used to produce a partial vacuum in thetank, this resulting in a suction-extraction action.

EP 0 806 527 discloses a flushing arrangement which has a hollow,cup-like closure element. The closure element interacts with an inletopening and an outlet opening, which are both open or closed in eachcase.

Toilet systems with a collecting tank in each case have additionallybeen disclosed by EP 0 704 372 and EP 1 022 399.

EP 0 763 633 A1 discloses a vacuum toilet which, in the dischargeconduit, has a pressure chamber between two valves. By virtue of thenegative pressure in this chamber, when a valve on the inlet side isopened, suction-extraction substance is sucked from the toilet pan,through the discharge conduit into this chamber. Once the two valveshave been switched over, pressure forces the substance from the chamberinto a further conduit. An ejector pump which is operated withcompressed air is provided in order to evacuate the chamber. A foldingbellows in the pressure chamber forms a flexible membrane and serves asa sealing means, and is intended to prevent foul air from passingoutward out of the discharge conduit. The production of the negativepressure causes a spring to be stressed, the spring building up apressure when relieved of stressing. The problem with this toilet systemis that sealing the chamber by means of a flexible membrane involveshigh outlay and is fault-prone. In order to build up a negativepressure, an ejector pump requires a comparatively long period of time.In addition, the pressure which can be achieved in order to expel thesubstance from the chamber is very limited. This toilet system is notlikely to prove successful in practice.

The object of the invention is to provide a toilet system of theabovementioned type which, with low water consumption, is functionallyreliable and durable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This object is achieved, in the case of a toilet system of the generictype, in that the pressure chamber is designed as a piston cylinder, andthe piston is connected to a controllable drive in order to produce thepositive pressure and negative pressure. In the case of the toiletsystem according to the invention, the negative pressure and positivepressure are produced by movement of the piston. This allows a veryquick build-up of a negative pressure, for example within a fraction ofa second. A positive pressure may likewise be produced very quickly and,in addition, with a positive pressure of more than 1 bar, for exampleapproximately 2 bar. A further advantage of the toilet system accordingto the invention is that the displacement, and thus the volume of thesubstance which can be extracted by suction, can be adjusted precisely.It is also possible for two or more suction-extraction cycles to becarried out one after the other. A satisfactory flushing operation isthus possible with a very small amount of water. The piston of thepiston cylinder here may itself serve as sealing means for preventingfoul air from escaping outward. There is thus no need for a flexiblemembrane or the like. According to a development of the invention, thepiston is moved by means of an electric motor. In conjunction with acontrol arrangement, this allows precise control of thesuction-extraction and expelling operations. These operations, inaddition, can be adjusted and adapted to the respective toilet pan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a toilet system according to theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a further schematic view of a toilet system according to theinvention,

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the course of a flushing operation overtime, and

FIGS. 4-6 are schematic views of a suction-extraction substance beingtaken in and expelled.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toilet system has a toilet pan 5 whichis of hopper-like design and has a bottom outlet 5 a. This outlet 5 a,however, is comparatively small and has a cross section of, for example,30 mm². Connected to the underside of this outlet 5 a, in a conduit 29,is a suction line 6, which likewise has a comparatively small crosssection. The toilet pan 5 can be flushed by a flushing arrangement 1,and has a flushing pipe 3 through which flushing water can be directedinto the interior of the toilet pan 5. The flushing arrangement 1 may bea flushing cistern or some other suitable flushing arrangement. Theessential factor, however, is that use is made of a comparatively smallamount of flushing water, for example less than 1 liter. The flushing istriggered by a button 2 or by some other suitable triggeringarrangement. Contactless or automatic triggering is also conceivablehere.

The suction line 6 contains a valve 7 which, in a closed state, closesoff the suction line 6 and, in the open state, releases thethrough-passage to a chamber 12 of a piston cylinder 8. The valve 7 iscontrolled, via a signal line 24, by a control arrangement 26.

The piston cylinder 8 has a housing 9, in which a piston 10 can bedisplaced to a limited extent in the directions of the double arrow 19.The piston 10 subdivides the housing 9 into a bottom chamber 12 and intoa top chamber 13. The piston 10 seals these two chambers 12 and 13 inrelation to one another. For this purpose, an encircling seal 10 a isarranged on the outside of the piston 10. The piston 10 is moved by amotor 14, for example an electric motor, and is connected to the piston10 via a piston rod 11 which, as can be seen, has one end projecting outof the housing 9. During movement of the piston 10, by means of valves22 and 23, air is expelled into the surroundings from the top chamber 13and/or fresh air is drawn in from the ambient air. The valves 22 and 23may be straightforward flap valves. Power is supplied to the motor 14via a power line 15. Power is likewise supplied to the controlarrangement 26 via this line. The control arrangement 26 may also beintegrated in the motor 14.

The bottom chamber 12 has an outlet 12 a which, as can be seen, isarranged at the lowermost point of the bottom chamber 12 and to which apressure line 17 is connected. The pressure line 17 may be a flexiblehose or a fixed pipeline. Located in the vicinity of the outlet 12 a isa further valve 16, which is controlled, via a signal line 25, by thecontrol arrangement 26. In one state, the through-passage to thepressure line 17 is closed and, in the other state, this through-passageis free. The bottom chamber 12 forms a pressure chamber and this may beintegrated in the toilet pan 5 and form a unit therewith.

The pressure line 17 has a cross section which may correspondessentially to the cross section of the suction line 6. This crosssection is thus likewise comparatively small and may be compared, forexample, with that of a garden hose. It may be comparatively long, forexample a number of meters in length, and, according to FIG. 1, lead toa downpipe of a waste-disposal conduit 18. The pressure line 17preferably has a front end 17 a which projects comparatively deeply, forexample a number of meters, into a waste-disposal conduit 18. Thepressure line 17 is introduced into the waste-disposal conduit 18, forexample, by way of a lateral connector 18 a.

The operation of the toilet system according to the invention isexplained hereinbelow.

The rest state of the toilet system is shown in FIG. 2. The valves 7 and16 are closed and the piston 10 is located in the bottom position shown.When the toilet system is used, the flushing arrangement 1 may beactuated for preliminary wetting of the inside 5 b of the toilet pan 5.As a result of use, the suction-extraction substance 4 collects in thetoilet pan 5, the substance filling the suction line 6 as far as thevalve 7. Flushing is triggered by actuation of the button 2. In thiscase, water passes through the flushing pipe 3 into the toilet pan 5.The quantity of water used here is controlled via the control means 26and the signal line 27. One or more nozzles are preferably provided forspraying the inside 5 b of the toilet pan 5.

Following spraying, the piston 10 moves approximately into the positionshown in FIG. 4. The uppermost position is preferably not quite reachedhere. Since the valves 7 and 16 are still closed, a negative pressurewhich is preferably less than, for example, 0.5 bar is thus produced ina chamber 12′. At the same time, further flushing of the toilet pan 5can be triggered via the control arrangement 26. Approximatelysimultaneously, the valve 7 is opened comparatively quickly, and thusessentially abruptly. The quick opening may be brought about, forexample, by a prestressed spring (not shown here). Approximatelysimultaneously, flushing of the toilet pan 5 is interrupted. The bottomchamber 12′ is large enough to be filled approximately half with air andhalf with suction-extraction substance 4. When the substance 4 isextracted by suction, the solids are reduced in size by suddenly flowinginto the bottom chamber 12′, with the result that the substance 4′extracted by suction is present in a state similar to a suspension. InFIG. 5, the arrow 28 shows the direction in which the substance 4 flowsinto the bottom chamber 12′. Located above the substance 4′ is an aircushion 21 which, as has been mentioned above, takes up approximatelyhalf the volume of the bottom chamber 12′.

Once the substance 4 has been extracted by suction, then the valve 7 isclosed and the piston 10 moves downward, the air cushion 21 beingcompressed and a positive pressure of, for example, 2 bar beingproduced. The valve 16 is then opened and, as a result of the positivepressure, the substance 4′ is expelled into the pressure line 17 and,finally, into the waste-disposal conduit 18. The valve 16 is thenclosed. When the piston 10 is moved downward, fresh air from the ambientair is directed into the top chamber 13 via the valve 22. The pressureline 17 is usually filled, at least in part, with suction-extractionsubstance 4′. In order for this substance to be expelled as well, asecond flushing operation is preferably triggered. In this case, thetoilet pan 5 is flushed again and this flushing water, by means of theoperation explained above, is taken in and then expelled. By virtue ofthis further operation, the pressure line 17 is flushed through withwater and cleaned at least in part. This further flushing water passesinto the waste-disposal conduit 18.

The suction line 6 opens out preferably tangentially and preferably alsodownward into the pressure chamber 12. This results in particularlyfavorable dynamics for the suction-extraction substance 4 and thus theflow of this substance 4 in and out of the cylinder 8. The substance 4flows tangentially, and in a downwardly directed manner, into thepressure chamber 12 and thus, as it were, flushes the cylinder 8 androtates in the pressure chamber 12. The substance 4 is then expelled.Since everything is in motion, it is possible to avoid deposits in thepressure chamber 12. Particles which are nevertheless deposited areflushed up again. Contact with the piston 10 and the seal is largelyavoided.

1. A toilet system comprising: a toilet pan, a flushing arrangement forproviding flushing liquid, a conduit which is connected to the toiletpan and leads to a waste disposal conduit, means for transporting awaste substance from the toilet pan into the conduit and into thewaste-disposal conduit, the means having, in the conduit, a first valveand a second valve and a pressure chamber disposed between said firstvalve and said second valve, said pressure chamber being operative toproduce a negative pressure, for the suction extraction of the wastesubstance from the toilet pan, and a positive pressure, for transportingthe waste substance, once extracted by suction, into the waste-disposalconduit, said pressure chamber having a piston cylinder and a piston; adrive, said piston being connected to said drive and being movable bysaid drive within said cylinder in order to produce the positivepressure and negative pressure, and an electronic control means, thedrive and the two valves being selectively controlled by said controlmeans whereby, for the suction extraction of the waste substance fromthe toilet pan, the piston is controlled to move to create the negativepressure in the chamber with the valves closed, and thereafter one ofsaid first and second valves is rapidly opened whereby the wastesubstance is extracted from the toilet pan into said pressure chamberwith a force.
 2. The toilet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein thepiston is driven electrochemically.
 3. The toilet system as claimed inclaim 1, wherein connected to an outlet of the pressure chamber is apressure line, through which the substance is transported into thewaste-disposal conduit.
 4. The toilet system as claimed in claim 1,wherein a positive pressure greater than about 1 bar is produced in thepressure chamber.
 5. The toilet system as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe stroke of the piston is adjustable.
 6. The toilet system as claimedin claim 1, wherein arranged between the toilet pan and the pistoncylinder is a suction line, which opens out tangentially into thepressure chamber.
 7. The toilet system as claimed in claim 1, whereinarranged between the toilet pan and the piston cylinder is a suctionline, which opens out obliquely downward into the pressure chamber. 8.The toilet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressure chamberforms a unit with a toilet pan.
 9. The toilet system as claimed in claim6, wherein, at its lowermost point, the pressure chamber has an outletto which a pressure line is connected.
 10. The toilet system as claimedin claim 1, wherein a positive pressure greater than 1.5 bar is producedin the pressure chamber.
 11. The toilet system as claimed in claim 2,wherein connected to an outlet of the pressure chamber is a pressureline, through which the substance is transported into the waste-disposalconduit.
 12. The toilet system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a positivepressure greater than about 1 bar is produced in the pressure chamber.13. The toilet system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a positive pressuregreater than about 1 bar is produced in the pressure chamber.
 14. Thetoilet system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stroke of the piston isadjustable.
 15. The toilet system as claimed in claim 3, wherein thestroke of the piston is adjustable.
 16. The toilet system as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the stroke of the piston is adjustable.
 17. The toiletsystem as claimed in claim 2, wherein arranged between the toilet panand the piston cylinder is a suction line, which opens out tangentiallyinto the pressure chamber.
 18. The toilet system as claimed in claim 3,wherein arranged between the toilet pan and the piston cylinder is asuction line, which opens out tangentially into the pressure chamber.19. The toilet system as claimed in claim 4, wherein arranged betweenthe toilet pan and the piston cylinder is a suction line, which opensout tangentially into the pressure chamber.
 20. The toilet system asclaimed in claim 5, wherein arranged between the toile pan and thepiston cylinder is a suction line, which opens out tangentially into thepressure chamber.
 21. The toilet system as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe drive is an electronic drive.
 22. The toilet system as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the force is operative to reduce waste solids.
 23. Thetoilet system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said negative pressure isproduced with a single stroke of said piston.
 24. The toilet system asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said positive pressure is produced with asingle stroke of said piston.